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Food Safety Matters

Food Safety Matters

By: Food Safety Magazine
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Food Safety Matters is a podcast for food safety professionals hosted by the Food Safety Magazine editorial team – the leading media brand in food safety for over 20 years. Each episode will feature a conversation with a food safety professional sharing their experiences and insights into the important job of safeguarding the world's food supply.2025 Food Safety Magazine Art Food & Wine Natural History Nature & Ecology Science
Episodes
  • Ep. 219: World Food Safety Day 2026

    Ep. 219: World Food Safety Day 2026
    Jun 7 2026

    Elaine Borghi, Ph.D. is Unit Head for Monitoring and Surveillance, Nutrition, and Food Safety at the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Borghi contributes to the coordination of efforts for nutrition and food safety data management, the generation of regional and global-level estimates and data-sharing tools, and the facilitation of inter-department data and methods harmonization. She holds a Ph.D. from the Statistics Department of the University of Wisconsin and a master's degree in Statistics from the State University of Campinas in Brazil. Before her time at WHO, Dr. Borghi was a lecturer at the State University of Campinas for 12 years. In addition to teaching, she provided statistical support to research in agriculture planning for rural sustainable development.

    In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Borghi [24:38] about:

    • How the methodology behind the new WHO global foodborne disease burden estimates has evolved since the original 2015 estimates
    • New insights related to national and regional differences and trends over time
    • How WHO compiles and validates the data on which the estimates are based, and the role that international partners and surveillance systems play in this process
    • Translating the data into actionable food safety interventions, as promoted by the theme of WFSD 2026, "From Burden to Solutions—Safe Food Everywhere"
    • How different stakeholder groups can utilize the estimates to prioritize risks, allocate resources, and strengthen food safety systems
    • What regional differences in the burden of foodborne illness reveal about the need for targeted interventions
    • The importance of also estimating and communicating the economic burden of foodborne diseases
    • How WHO envisions the updated estimates shaping global food safety policy, surveillance, and collaboration.

    News and Resources

    News

    FDA Modernizes Oversight of Pesticides in Food [3:48]

    Bipartisan Bill Would Give FDA Authority to Destroy Contaminated Food Imports [7:00]

    'Natural' Food Dyes May Have Health Risks Too, Studies Show [13:38]

    Study Suggests Sweetener May Contribute to Liver Disease [20:51]

    Resources

    World Food Safety Day 2026 to Coincide with Release of Updated WHO Foodborne Disease Burden Estimates

    Global Foodborne Disease Burden Comparable to Malaria, Per Updated WHO Estimates

    We Want to Hear from You!
    Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com
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    51 mins
  • Elanco: Spring and Summer Pest Pressure—Smart Insecticide Strategies for Poultry Producers

    Elanco: Spring and Summer Pest Pressure—Smart Insecticide Strategies for Poultry Producers
    May 28 2026

    Alissa Welsher, Ph.D. is a Senior Consultant at Elanco Poultry Food Safety. Dr. Welsher received her bachelor's degree in biological sciences from the University of Pittsburgh, a master's degree in poultry science, and a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Arkansas. Her area of expertise is in meat and poultry food safety, and she specializes in integrated pest management (IPM).

    In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Welsher [1:39] about:

    • Why pests become more problematic for poultry operations in the spring and summer months and which pets are of particular concern
    • How pests in preharvest poultry operations are related to food safety threats like Salmonella that persist throughout production
    • The importance and core pillars of a robust IPM program
    • How chemical solutions like insecticides can provide an additional layer of defense alongside strong IPM
    • Best practices for insecticide application to maximize effectiveness and mitigate resistance
    • Different insecticide products and how they act on insects in all life stages
    • The benefits of working with an expert IPM and insecticide partner like Elanco to ensure effective and proper insect control, especially moving into spring and summer.

    Resources

    Elanco Poultry Food Safety Solutions

    Sponsored by:

    Elanco

    We Want to Hear from You!

    Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com
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    24 mins
  • Ep. 218. Dr. Brady Carter: Water Activity, Shelf-Life Validation, and Food Safety Controls

    Ep. 218. Dr. Brady Carter: Water Activity, Shelf-Life Validation, and Food Safety Controls
    May 26 2026
    Brady Carter, Ph.D. is the Chief Scientific Officer at Carter Scientific Solutions. He specializes in water activity, moisture sorption, shelf-life stability, plant science, and wheat production and quality. He has 23 years of experience in research and development and previously was a Research Professor at Washington State University focusing on wheat end-use quality. Dr. Carter has pioneered work in using dynamic isotherms to investigate product stability and establish critical water activities for optimal shelf life. He also specializes in shelf-life loss and effective utilization of instrumentation to address product safety and quality issues. Dr. Carter holds a Ph.D. in Crop Science and Food Engineering and an M.S degree in Cereal Chemistry and Crop Science from Washington State University, as well as a B.A. degree in Botany from Weber State University. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Carter [41:18] about: The basics of water activity, including how it is measured and how it differs from moisture contentThe influence of water activity on food safety and shelf life, and how water activity data can support the validation of shelf-life claimsWays manufacturers can incorporate water activity into their shelf-life and food safety testing, and during research and development when formulating productsRegulatory expectations around water activity monitoring as part of validation and verificationThe realities of water activity measurement that make real-time, inline testing impractical with current technologyHow water activity monitoring can help mitigate food wasteThe importance of the statement, "water activity is the energy of water." News and Resources News Donald Prater Becomes New Head of FDA Human Foods Program [16:54]FDA Commissioner Steps Down, To Be Replaced by Agency's Human Foods LeaderTop U.S. Food Safety Officials Discuss Regulatory Landscape at Food Safety Summit FDA Encourages Industry to Develop Best Practices, Use Root Cause Analyses [20:30] FDA Finalizes Systematic Post-Market Food Chemical Review Process [21:34] FDA Launches One-Day Inspectional Assessments [22:30] Scientists Tackle Food Waste with More Accurate 'Sell By' Dates Based on Meat Microbial Activity [27:42] Monitoring Data Show EU Food Mostly Compliant with Pesticide Limits [35:58] Resources Food Safety Rockstar T-Shirts on Amazon (BE ADVISED: they run small) We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com
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    1 hr and 23 mins
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